Washboard.



E. N. MAULL.

WASHBOARD. APPLIGATION FILED JAN. 2, 1909.

946,552, Patented Jan. 18, 1910.

EDWARD N. MAULL, OF PALATKA, FLORIDA.

WASHBOARD.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed January 2, 1909.

Patented Jan. 18, 1910. Serial No. 470,344.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD N. citizen of the Palatka, in the of Florida, lVashboard, specification.

This invention relates to washboards, and I has for its object to provide an improvement j in the rubbing surfaces of the same. Another object is to provide a construcl I l h/TAULL, a I United States, residing at county of Putnam and State have invented a new and useful of which the following is a tion adapted to distribute the soap evenly and without waste.

A further object is to provide a rubbing surface consisting of wood and metal, so constructed that the most delicate fabric may be rubbed without injury and thoroughly cleansed. l

lVith these and other objects in view, as will more fully hereinafter appear, the present invention consists in certain novel details of construction, and arrangement of parts, hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and more particularly pointed out in the appended claim; it I being understood that various changes in the form, proportion, size and minor details of the device may be made without from the spirit or sacrificing vantages of the invention. I

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification: Figure 1 is a front elevation of a washboard fitted with my device. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section View of the same. Fig. 3 is a detail perspective of the manner of securing the rubbers.

Similar numerals of reference are em ployed to designate corresponding parts throughout.

In the construction illustrated, the frame of the washboard comprises, as usual, the side bars 1 and 2, and the end bar 3. As usual, the side and end bars are each povided with a longitudinal groove or mortise to receive the sides and end of the rubbing board f. The latter may be formed of any suitable material, such as wood or the like, and is provided on its opposed flat faces and throughout its entire length with equally spaced rows of beads 5 and 6, alternately disdeparting any of the adposed on the opposed faces of the board 4,

as shown in Fig. 2. These beads extend, as usual, in a horizontal direction with respect to the side boards 1 and 2, and constitute the rubbers of the board. Formed between these rubbers and alternately disposed on the opposed faces of the board t, are channels or grooves '7 and 8, having vertical side walls and flat floors; these channels extend throughout the entire width of the board, their function being to receive the metallic rubbers. Each of the latter is preferably formed of a single piece of wire, coiled so as to form a helical spring 9, of an exterior diameter to snugly fit within the grooves, the construction being such that the depth of each groove is equal to about one-half the diameter of each coil, so that the highest point in the latter will be in a plane with the highest point in each bead.

IVith this construction, it is obvious that the coils and beads form a substantially continuous rubbing surface, such as will not have a tendency to tear the material to be washed. The opposed terminals of the springs are each bent at substantially right angles to the coils and are anchored in suitable openings formed at either end of the grooves 7, as clearly illustrated in Fig. 3. Thus it will be seen there is no possible chance of the springs leaving the grooves and interfering with the operation.

As has already been stated, the beads and grooves are disposed alternately on the opposed faces of the board, the function of this construction being to reduce the liability of shrinkage more on one side than on the other, which would cause the board to warp.

I11 the use of the device the operator applies soap by rubbing the latter back and forth over the coils 9 which cut the soap away and force it down into the grooves, and as the clothes are rubbed over the coils in the opposite direction, the water forces the soap out and into the goods. The peculiar shape which these wires have forms loops or folds in the cloth, at the point of contact with the soap, thereby forcing the latter into the material. When the garment is moved and brought in contact with the beads, the latter press these folds or loops, grooves and spaced from the beads by said causing the soapy water to be forced out, I shoulders. and as this operation continues, it is evident i In testimony that I claim the foregoing that the lather will be profusely produced as my own, I have hereto affixed my signa- 5 and the soil taken from the goods. ture in the presence of two Witnesses.

I claim: i [T T W I In a Wash-board a rubbing-board having ARD MAULL' transverse beads with laterally disposed \Vitnesses:

shoulders at their opposite sides and inter- D. A. MULLIs,

1Q vening grooves, and coils located in the C. E. MAULL. 

